


Kissing Booth

by hutchabelle



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-11
Updated: 2014-06-11
Packaged: 2018-02-04 05:24:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1767106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hutchabelle/pseuds/hutchabelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High school teachers Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark volunteer their services to the kissing booth at their school’s carnival to raise money for school supplies. Little did they know the hottest kisses would be the private ones shared between them later that night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kissing Booth

**Author's Note:**

> Kissing Booth is part of the 2014 S2SL Collection. Come find me on tumblr. My user name is hutchhitched. Thanks to myusernamehere (Lisa) and jennagill (Jackie) for editing and burlesonspride (Mel) for the graphic.

 

“Alright, everybody,” Effie called from the stage. “Can I have your attention please?”

She called for silence a few more times as the faculty moved into their seats in the auditorium. Effie, or Ms. Trinket in professional settings, cleared her throat and glanced down at the clipboard she was holding and clucked her tongue a few times. Her impatience showed in the way she rapped her fingernails against the papers and tapped her high heel shoes.

“Settle down, settle down now, ladies and gentleman. Settle down!” she called as the last of the teachers sank into the seats. “Now as the guidance counselor of Coal High, I’m particularly looking forward to seeing this weekend’s festivities unfold. As you know, we need to raise money for a number of clubs and activities at this school if we want our children to be able to compete with other schools in our conference. The Panem Conference is very competitive, and we shouldn’t be looked upon as the least of these just because we’re School District 12. We only were named last, not doomed to last place in everything.”

Katniss sat near the back of the auditorium and struggled not to snort in exasperation. She didn’t have nearly the same luck hiding how hard she rolled her eyes as Effie continued her overly dramatic recitation about the merits and shortcomings of the school district. It seemed to bother the administration and staff more than the teachers that the school often came in near the bottom of the conference standings in music, art, sports, and drama competitions. Academics continued to remain about halfway down the standings or, as Katniss preferred to believe, halfway up. Maybe she was too focused on only one aspect, but she was a teacher, a core curriculum teacher at that. Her student’s academic achievements were her first priority, not competitions with the other wealthier districts in the conference.

Katniss had been teaching at Coal High since she graduated from college with a double major in biology and secondary education with an emphasis in applied science. She’d worked her way through a community college close to her hometown and then transferred to the university a couple of hours away. She hadn’t had a lot of time to spend socializing, but she’d had fun and managed to get her degrees while working two part-time jobs and sending money back home to her mother to help with her younger sister’s expenses. Her upbringing created a special place in her heart for the rural poor, and she’d chosen Coal High for her first teaching job despite more lucrative offers from larger districts with much better tax bases to fund their schools.

What she’d found at Coal High was a dedicated teaching staff and an administration with lofty goals for the district’s students. She worked hard to build the science program with the other three teachers in the department and was proud of the fact that they’d managed to expand the higher level elective opportunities to include a number of lab sciences and botany. She was currently working on a grant application that would result in funding for a greenhouse if it was approved.

Despite being several hours from her hometown and her friends and family there, Katniss tended to keep to herself and remain as professional as possible. A number of younger faculty members worked at the school, but she rarely engaged in activities with them outside her educational responsibilities despite a number of invitations from those colleagues. One in particular, Mr. Mellark, the newest English teacher, made a point to extend an invitation every time the faculty attended happy hour together.

Peeta started teaching at Coal High the same year as Katniss and had enjoyed as much success as she had building his department. He taught the freshman English and literature classes as well as speech and debate. He also helped sponsor the art club and coached wrestling. Despite what she knew was an exhausting schedule, he always had a smile on his face and took the time to answer every student who waved to him in the hallway. His shocking good looks, the piercing blue eyes, wavy blonde hair that spilled over his forehead, and his trim body made him a particular favorite with most of the high school girls.

“You know it’s not polite to roll your eyes, Ms. Everdeen.”

Katniss jumped at the soft voice from behind her and to her right. The warm breath on her ear sent a shockwave through the right side of her body, and she suppressed an involuntary shiver. Without turning her head, she knew exactly whose voice teased her. Peeta’s distinct baritone coupled with the cologne he wore gave him away before she turned to glance over her shoulder at him.

“It’s also not polite to sneak up on someone, Mr. Mellark,” she said pointedly.

He chuckled softly, careful to keep his voice quiet enough so as not to disturb Effie’s instructions as she continued to drone from the stage. “Touché, Ms. Everdeen. Touché.”

Peeta smiled to himself at her sassiness. He’d entered the auditorium seconds after Katniss and sat in the row behind her and a few seats down just so he could observe her without her realizing he was there. He couldn’t help himself when he saw her roll her eyes. He’d been trying to get her attention since they started teaching together, but he hadn’t figured a way to crack her standoffish demeanor yet. Her obvious irritation with Effie seemed as good of an opportunity as any to talk to her.

“Ms. Everdeen! Mr. Mellark! You’re manning the kissing booth for the first two hours. Nope! Don’t even want to hear your arguments, Katniss. Put your smiles on and deal with it,” Effie informed her before moving on to the next set of instructions.

Fuming, Katniss sat back in her seat and waited for the rest of her responsibilities. She wasn’t sure how she’d been chosen for the kissing booth, although she and Peeta were two of the more attractive and, admittedly, single teachers in the school. If people were willing to pay a dollar to kiss her so she could afford more lab tools, then she’d suppress her anger and do it. At least it was only members of the community who could participate and not the students. That would have been completely off limits for her, but it would have also broken a number of ethical rules for her profession.

Peeta leaned on the arm of his chair, grateful that no one seemed to realize he was chatting up Katniss when Effie assigned them the kissing booth. The thought of spending two hours with her thrilled him. The thought of her kissing other men for those same two hours definitely did not.

Once Effie ended the meeting and dismissed the faculty, Katniss heard Peeta’s voice behind her again. “Looking forward to working with you in the kissing booth, Katniss. Is it okay that I call you that? Might be less formal than Ms. Everdeen since we’re going to be locking lips to start off the show.”

Shaking her head, she turned to face him. “Wait…what?” Confusion etched her face, but Peeta’s reflected relaxed satisfaction.

“We have to start the show on the kissing booth. Weren’t you listening to Effie? When the carnival opens, we kiss to show the ‘customers’ what they’ll be getting if they buy a kiss from either of us,” he explained patiently.

Katniss flushed at his words. She’d been able to avoid making a lot of contact with the rest of the faculty and staff, preferring to remain to herself, enjoying occasional visits from her best friend Gale that sometimes became much more than friendly. He’d been her friend with benefits for so long she didn’t even think about him anymore when they got together. It was emotionless, purely physical, and that’s what she wanted. Watching her mother fall apart after her dad died convinced her she didn’t need to be attached to someone that way. Not ever.

The problem was that Katniss was lonely and she’d imagined Peeta way too many times over the course of the past three years. His natural friendliness made her smile against her will, and his obvious passion for the rural area and the students who lived there mirrored her own. She’d been fighting to stay detached from him since they’d met, and now she was going to have to kiss him and then a bunch of strangers if she wanted to help raise money for the school.

“Whose stupid idea is it to have a kissing booth anyway? Are we living in the Dark Ages? It’s humiliating,” she muttered.

“Come on. It could be worse,” he chided. “The high school I attended raised money by having three teachers kiss a pig. I put a bunch of money in the can for my favorite female teacher. I wanted to see her pucker her lips, and she laid one on that pig. Every one of my friends wanted to be swine that day.”

Katniss’ mouth fell open in shock. “Are you serious? Because that’s fairly swine-like.”

“I was trying to relax you, Katniss; not admit I used to be a horny teenager with a crush on my teacher,” he teased with a smile. He shook himself internally and told himself to shut up. The last thing he wanted was to come across as a sex-crazed idiot who hadn’t outgrown his adolescent ways.

When she didn’t respond, he added with a wink, “See you tonight. I’ll make sure to brush twice so I’m minty fresh.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered in disgust and turned to the doors. She wanted nothing more than to escape to her apartment for a few hours before she had to pucker up for half the town.

At 6:45 that evening, she forced herself from her couch, made her way back to the school, and wound her way through the gym to the kissing booth. Peeta was already there in a blue button down that matched his eyes and a pair of dark washed jeans. His face bore a hint of a smile when he greeted her.

When Effie introduced the two of them, several people whistled and Peeta leaned in to whisper in her ear, “You okay?”

He seemed sincere, and his strong hand on the small of her back calmed her. She nodded and blinked as he leaned toward her, his eyes closing milliseconds before his soft mouth found hers. Her eyes closed involuntarily and a small shock pinged through her body. She leaned into him and angled her head, kissing him back much more than she intended before he pulled away.

Dazed, she tried to catch his eye, but he’d already turned to the crowd and said, “Who’s next?” before she could recover. The line on his side of the booth doubled hers, which irritated her more than it should. The men were polite to her, satisfied with her chaste kisses. It was obvious she wasn’t nearly as into it as Peeta was.

He charmed everyone, using his natural way with words to make every woman who approached the booth feel like he’d been waiting for them all evening. The number of middle-aged women who blushed to their roots made her roll her eyes a few times. When she had a lull in customers, she watched him; the way his lips curved together when he kissed, his strong hands with those scarred knuckles gripping the counter, and his muscular back flexing under his shirt. No wonder the stack of money in the cashbox grew to near epic proportions during their two hours together.

Peeta kept busy with the women in line in an attempt to avoid seeing Katniss bestowing her kisses on the men of the town. They were all respectful of her, but that didn’t make watching overweight, bearded, grinning men locking lips with her any less infuriating. The kiss they’d exchanged to open the booth still tingled on his lips. He’d had to turn away immediately to control the blood rushing to his groin.

At the end of their shift, Peeta thanked her for her company before moving to his second station. As he walked to the dunk booth, he tossed over his shoulder, “Maybe we can grab dinner together sometime. It’d be nice to talk to you when we’re not swapping spit with half the town.”

She didn’t answer, but her stomach knotted as she watched him walk away. His muscular forearms under his rolled sleeves made her knees a little weak, and his jeans covered the curve of his backside so deliciously that—

Katniss shook herself as her kissing booth replacement, a frumpy middle-aged divorcée, whistled in appreciation at his retreating back. “I’d take him up on that dinner, but I wouldn’t worry about the food. We could just feast on each other.”

A flash of anger shot through her and she turned to glare in disgust. “He’s a human being, you know. Not a piece of meat.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’s got some meat,” was the oversexed reply.

Fuming, Katniss headed to the cotton candy booth and tried to lose herself in twirling the soft spun sugar onto the paper handles. Unfortunately, she was in eyeshot of the dunking booth where Peeta perched on a small seat in a tight white cotton t-shirt and some athletic shorts; his feet were bare and a broad smile graced his face as he taunted the kids who tried to dunk him.

He teased them each good-naturedly, never in a mocking way, and even gave a few of the younger ones pointers. Surprisingly, a middle school girl was the first to hit the target squarely, and Peeta slipped from the tipped seat into the tank of water with a noisy splash. He emerged laughing, his smile spreading from ear to ear. He applauded the girl before turning to climb back to his seat.

When he turned, his eyes caught hers, and Katniss couldn’t close her slackened jaw. His clothes clung to him, his white t-shirt completely transparent and showing every curve of his muscles and the outline of his pointed nipples. His shorts hugged the contours of his pelvis and his butt. Katniss tried not to look, but she was positive she could see the outline of what she was sure would be a fairly impressive bulge if he got excited.

With a smirk, he returned to his perch and cheerfully worked his way through the rest of his shift. Her cotton candy experience was hampered by his proximity. Her hands and shirt were covered with spun sugar by the end of the night because the sight of him in his wet clothes distracted her much too frequently.

Peeta fought to control himself as he watched Katniss fighting with the cotton candy. She attempted to wind it over the paper tubes but managed to get plenty on her arms and hands. Watching her graceful hands covered with the fluffy pink treat and her mouth sucking it off her fingers in between hand washings made his frequent trips into the dunk tank necessary in order to calm himself. He certainly didn’t need to demonstrate his arousal for the entire town to see—especially not in wet shorts.

She was surveying the damage to her appearance when Peeta approached the booth. He’d changed back into his jeans and button down, but his wavy locks were still wet and combed back from his forehead.

“Any left?” he asked.

Katniss shook her head. “No, we sold out, but you wouldn’t want it to ruin your dinner anyway.”

It was a lame joke, but it was the most she could manage as he stood in front of her. All she could see was the memory of his wet torso as he stood in the tank of water.

“Speaking of dinner…” He quirked an eyebrow at her before offering, “I haven’t eaten yet. You want to grab a bite?”

When she hesitated, he admitted, “It’s cold outside tonight. I could use a hot meal and a beer. I could use company more.”

“It’s supposed to snow tonight,” she said, hoping to come up with a viable excuse for not accepting his invitation.

He nodded, “I’ve got four wheel drive. I can get you home if there’s a problem. I promise.”

It was against her better judgment, but Katniss couldn’t say no when his blue eyes caught her gray ones. “Alright,” she agreed. “Dinner and a beer.”

His smile almost broke his face when she agreed. “Meet me at Ripper’s? Or do you want me to follow you to your house and ride together if you’re worried about the storm?”

“Uh… I, um. I’m going home to change out of this shirt. If you want to follow me there, I guess we could ride together, but I can just as easily meet you.”

“Nah, it’s cool. I’ll meet you in the parking lot.” He teased, “I promise not to stalk you later just because I know where your house is.”

She ducked her head to hide her grin and stopped in her school room to pick up her belongings. Peeta followed her home and waited patiently in his SUV while she changed and re-braided her hair. Taking a deep breath, she joined him in his vehicle.

The ride to the pub was comfortable. He didn’t push the conversation. Instead, the radio played some of her favorite 80s music, and she sang softly along to a rock ballad.

“You have a nice voice,” he said sincerely. “I’ve never heard you sing before.”

“Thanks,” she murmured. She hadn’t realized she was singing loudly enough for him to hear, and she was slightly embarrassed. Her voice was something she rarely shared with anyone. Not since she’d sung at her father’s funeral almost a decade and a half before. She wanted to honor his memory by singing only for him, even if that didn’t make any logical sense.

It only took a few more minutes for them to pull into Ripper’s parking lot. He led the way inside and guided her to a booth on the far side that was isolated from some of the loudest crowd noise. The booths were the old fashioned kind—wooden with high backs that provided privacy between the tables. It almost felt like they were alone.

“So…” he breathed after they’d given their order and the waitress left them alone. He hoped he appeared calm, but he wasn’t. He couldn’t believe she’d finally agreed to go out with him—well, at least be seen in a public place that wasn’t school related. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d asked her to socialize. She always had an excuse not to. He’d never had such a hard time getting a woman to pay attention to him. He’d also never grown to care about and respect someone who would barely give him the time of day. They had a close professional relationship but a non-existent personal one—until tonight.

She looked at him over the top of her beer glass and waited. When he didn’t answer, she lowered her glass and answered, “So…?”

He chuckled at her and shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’m a little nervous,” he admitted.

“Why?” She’d never seen him flustered, so this was a new experience for her. It made her feel a lot less pressure to try to impress him.

He took a steadying breath and a sip of his oatmeal stout before he answered. “Because I’ve been trying to get you to hang out with me for almost three years. You finally said yes. I’m nervous as hell I’ll say something stupid and we’ll never talk outside of school again.”

She looked at him in disbelief. “But why? I mean, why does it matter?”

“What do you mean, ‘Why does it matter?’” he asked, a line of concern crinkling his brow.

“I mean, you have other friends. You’re always hanging out with people. Why would I matter when there are other people you can see?”

He twirled his beer glass, his eyes concentrating on the froth clinging to the rim. He shrugged, seeming to make up his mind, and raised his gaze to hers. His blue eyes pierced into her as he admitted, “Because I really like you, Katniss, and I have since I met you.”

“Oh.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say, so she took a sip of her beer instead and glanced down at the table rather than at him.

He sighed heavily. “How to make someone uncomfortable and mess everything up in five seconds 101, right here.”

The look of defeat on his face made her heart clutch. “You didn’t mess everything up,” she assured him. “I’m just not used to letting people in.”

He gave a slight nod and took another sip of his beer. He seemed to be waiting for her cue.

“So, why Coal High?” she asked in an attempt to spark the conversation.

He gave a sad smile and said, “I grew up around here. I lived in the next town over, the one that caught fire a few years ago when I was in college and burned to the ground. My family didn’t make it. The rest of the town moved away. There wasn’t any sense in rebuilding, but I wanted to be close to them, to my home, so I came here. It’s the next closest thing.

“Besides, I grew up in this culture. There’s never enough hope for these people. Never enough money or belief that someone can get out if they want to. These people need someone who believes in them. Someone who wants to push them to be more than they thought they could be. I thought about moving to the Capitol and teaching in the inner-city schools there, but this felt more like home.”

Katniss sat completely still. Her beer was raised halfway to her mouth, but she couldn’t lift it to drink or move to set it down. Peeta’s words had revealed an entirely different part of him she couldn’t have fathomed from his positive attitude in everyday life. Her mouth hung open as she fought to process what he’d been through and how he still possessed such a giving and caring heart.

“What?” he asked, his cheeks reddening under her gaze.

“I’m sorry,” she gasped, unable to speak more coherently. “I’m flabbergasted by you right now. I had no idea.”

He shifted uncomfortably and stroked the side of his beer glass, leaving strips of glass clear of moisture in the wake of his fingers. “You don’t have to feel sorry for me,” he mumbled.

“No! No, I don’t. I mean, it’s horrible, but I’m in awe of you. And I feel the same way about this place, about the people here, about them needing someone to believe in them. That’s why I’m here too,” she said earnestly and reached across the table to graze his hands with her fingers.

With her touch, the tension between them drained and they shared their first genuine smile of the evening. The conversation flowed after that with no breaks, and Katniss felt herself opening up to him in a way she’d never before, except maybe with her younger sister. She had to admit that Peeta was everything she’d ever wanted in a mate but she’d been afraid to look for in case something happened to him. It was over her third beer that it hit her and she finally understood why people risked losing someone.

Because the thought of living without the other seemed unbearable.

She’d known him for almost three years, but this was the first night they’d talked as friends and not colleagues. It had taken only that long for her to realize he was extremely special. Maybe it was time to let herself feel something.

Her head felt a little fuzzy as she worked to finish her fourth beer. Peeta motioned for the check and said, “I think we should probably head out. It’s almost one and the snow is supposed to start soon. You want me to take you home?”

“Eh, I’m not sure I’m ready to go home. You want to watch a movie or something?” she asked.

Her brazenness surprised her, but she didn’t feel like ending the night. She wanted to spend more time getting to know him, and the beer had helped her let her walls down. She wasn’t overthinking for once.

He looked surprised but pleased and agreed. “Sure. I have a pretty decent setup at my house if you want to come over. You can crash on the couch if the snow gets too bad.”

“Let’s do it!” she said and chugged the last of her drink. Following him to his SUV, she shivered as the cold air whipped against her bare legs. She regretted wearing a skirt, but she thought she’d be home long before now. She hadn’t thought to change into jeans when she changed her shirt.

Peeta’s house surprised her. It was small but nice, and it was very clean for a bachelor. He had great taste in furnishings and an impressive surround sound system. He also had a remarkable body, and suddenly that seemed a lot more appealing.

She stood by the front door and took off her boots, standing them next to the door and watching the muscles ripple under his shirt as he bent over to grab one of his binders of movies. His jeans pulled tightly across his backside, and she had the sudden urge to squeeze it.

Suddenly happy she’d offered him a mint on the ride home, she tested her own breath and leaned against the wall in the entryway.

“You know, we don’t have to actually watch a movie. I can think of other things to do.”

Peeta froze at her words. Straightening slowly, he turned to look at her leaning on the wall.

“L-l-like what?” he stuttered, unsure how to respond and clearly nervous again.

She placed the tip of her index finger in her mouth and bit it lightly before grinning. “Come closer, and I’ll tell you.”

Peeta approached her cautiously and stopped a couple of feet away.

“Closer,” she suggested softly.

He halved the distance between then, stopping a foot from her, and waited.

“Closer,” she whispered.

He moved until only a couple of inches separated them and ducked his head to look her squarely in her eyes. The gray irises shone and her pupils dilated slightly when their eyes met.

She wrapped her arms round his waist and tugged him against her. “Closer,” she insisted.

They stood together for several moments; her arms around him and his hanging loosely at his sides while he studied her face. He seemed to be trying to convince himself that the situation was real and that she was in his house.

Cautiously, he asked, “Are you a little drunk?”

She shook her head. “I was fuzzy, but the cold air sobered me up pretty quickly.”

He nodded silently and studied her again.

“Peeta,” she finally said, “you don’t have to wait for a kissing booth for an excuse this time. I’m waiting.”

“Katniss…” Peeta breathed in a husky voice. “Katniss. God, I’ve dreamt about this for so long.” His hands trembled as he lifted them to her face to cup her cheeks. His body shivered against hers, his muscular torso pressed tightly against her. She gasped as he pressed her back toward the wall and lowered his lips to hers.

When his mouth touched hers, her knees buckled. His lips, warm and soft with just a hint of moistness, pressed hers softly, hesitantly, until she gasped and opened under him. Her head tilted to the side as she tried to get closer to him. The heat increased and he intensified the pressure of their kiss, his tongue slipping into her mouth and rubbing hotly against hers.

He released a soft moan of longing from the back of this throat that hinted at his desperate desire for her. She felt him growing harder against her and bumped her hips against him. Her lips curved into a smile as she realized how much he wanted her. Her hand floated downward from his chest and rested gently against the flap of his jeans. He sucked in a choppy breath and continued to move his mouth hungrily against hers, his tongue dipping into the cavity of her mouth and caressing her thoroughly.

Fire coursed through her body, heat rushing to her most intimate places. She gasped his name and cupped him, caressing him as he grew thicker. Their heads bobbed as they panted and moved together.

With a moan, he dragged his mouth from hers and kissed his way along her jaw and down her neck to the hollow where it met her collarbone. She tipped her head to allow him better access, her breath coming in shallow gulps. As he lavished her neck with his caresses, she squeezed him harder until he grunted. He’d grown so rigid, he filled her hand completely.

“Katniss,” he gasped again as he pulled back to look at her, his eyes dark with desire, his hands cupping her cheeks lovingly. His deep blue eyes flickered across her face, flitting from her eyes to her lips in an attempt to take in every inch of her face.

“Peeta,” fell from her lips, swollen from the pressure of his mouth on hers. His thumb ran over them, and she kissed the pad softly.

With a groan that seemed to come from deep inside his chest, he admitted, “I want you so much. I’ve wanted you for so long. This doesn’t seem real I’ve dreamed about this for so many years.”

Her eyes softened at his words, unable to believe she’d never realized the depth of his feelings before. She’d been so focused on her own world that she almost missed out on him completely.

As he studied her, she flipped the button open on his jeans and lowered his zipper before slipping her hand inside to fondle his erection. Her soft palm fit around his girth and Peeta released a strangled groan. His head fell forward against her shoulder and his body trembled as she worked his length. Her fingers ran lightly over his balls and the tip of his cock which seeped with a hint of fluid.

His head pressed harder into her shoulder the more she stroked him. She continued until Peeta couldn’t contain his reaction. “Uhngh,” he uttered in deep grunts as her hand grasped him, rubbing faster until his body tensed and he gasped, “Stop, Katniss! Oh, god, stop. I can’t hold back if you keep going.” His right hand fell to grip her wrist and stop her caresses.

Lifting his head from her neck, he looked at her, his cheeks pink, his eyes so blue they looked violet. His breaths came in sharp pants. He pulled her hand from him and kissed her lips softly before pulling away from her. With several inches separating them, Katniss could see his shoulders heaving with the effort to calm himself. 

Softly, she told him, “You don’t have to hold back.” Her gaze held his in an attempt to communicate her need.

When he didn’t respond for several seconds, she unbuttoned the top button of her blouse and smiled shyly when his eyes widened. Pushing herself away from the wall, she moved to the next button and slipped it through the buttonhole. The gap in her shirt opened to reveal her lacy bra that created a valley between her breasts. A look of wonder appeared in his eyes as they fell to the shadowed hollow, and he unconsciously licked his lips in anticipation.

She took a small, purposeful step toward him and grinned when he took a step back, a look of panic sparking in his eyes.

“What’s wrong, Peeta?” she purred. “Don’t you want this?”

His calves hit the coffee table and he flailed slightly to regain his balance. When he was stabilized, he nodded. “I do! I mean, I don’t, are we—?” he sputtered.

She opened another button and laughed. “Spit it out, Peeta.”

She stopped in front of him and his hands reached to span her waist. In seconds the panic was gone, his eyes showing an intense hunger instead. “I want you, Katniss. I’ve wanted you for years, but I don’t want to rush this if you’re not sure. It’s kind of sudden.”

Katniss released the last button and shrugged the blouse from her shoulders. It pooled over his hands and hung there until he raised one to curve around her side just under her bra. She whispered to him, “Just because I just now figured it out doesn’t mean I’m not sure.”

His eyes widened in surprise and then softened in happiness. With acceptance of her decision, Peeta’s hand moved behind her to unclasp her bra and gently pulled the strap from her shoulder. As it fell, his eyes moved to her bare breast and were quickly followed by his hand. His rough palm grazed the bottom and the pad of his thumb skimmed her nipple, which hardened under his touch.

She shrugged the strap off her other shoulder and tossed the garment so that it fell with her shirt to the floor. She lifted her hand to caress his forearm and appreciated the flexing muscles under her palm.

“Peeta…” she begged in a soft whine. “Please. Now.”

With a groan of surrender, his mouth captured hers again. Katniss felt the combustion as he let go of his caution and crushed her to him. His left hand fell to cup her rounded bottom, her skirt caught under his hand, the cool air in his house hitting the back of her exposed thigh. The other clasped the back of her neck and a handful of her dark hair and pulled her tighter to him.

Her hands dropped to his jeans and pushed them from his hips. She found his length again and ran down it to rub his balls, her middle finger slipping between his legs. He released a grunt of desire, his mouth still covering hers. Frantically, he picked her up, moved around the coffee table, and fell to the couch with her straddling his lap.

Breaking their kiss, he panted, “Hold on for a second, Katniss. I have to get a condom.”

Nodding, she rose and shimmied her panties down her legs. As he grabbed his wallet and rolled the condom on, she dropped her skirt to the floor as well. Peeta raised his head and gulped when he saw her standing naked in front of him, his mouth hanging open slightly in appreciation.

“Come here,” he murmured. “My god, you’re breathtaking.”

She moved to stand in front of him and smiled at his jeans still pooled around one of his ankles and the button down hanging slightly crooked on his torso, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top button open to expose the tendons in his neck. He ran his hand up her thigh to her hip and they stared into each other’s eyes.

Katniss grinned as Peeta tugged her hand so that she fell into his lap. His hand moved between her legs as they kissed, his middle finger dipping into her slit and spreading the moisture up to her clit. When his fingers hit her there, she groaned in pleasure and shifted so she was straddling him. Breaking their kiss she watched his eyes as she sank onto him.

He stretched her, filling her so she clasped him tightly. His eyes rolled back in his head as she encased him fully and his head fell so that it rested against the back of the couch. When she raised herself just slightly and sank back down, he groaned lustily.

“Fuck, Katniss. Oh my god. Ah—” His voice caught in his throat as she adjusted to him and began to move. Her hips rocked against his, undulating as her back arched and her breasts bounced.

After a few strokes, Peeta was able to gain control and met her movements with shallow thrusts of his own. His hands ran over her feverishly, unable to touch enough of her at once. His mouth covered her neck and chest with kisses, his left hand cupping her breast and holding it so he could suckle on her peaked nipple, his right grasping her backside. As she slapped against him, the reverberations caused her ass to jiggle in his hands, which made him grow harder inside her.

He was so close, brought almost to climax by her hand, and he was having trouble controlling his reaction. “Katniss,” he groaned. “Katniss, I’m so close. I can’t wait much longer.”

“It’s okay,” she managed to say, her eyes bright with passion as she rode him. “Go ahead.”

Her loose braid had come undone as they kissed, the waves falling over her shoulders and creating a soft curtain that reached to the middle of her back. She was so striking that Peeta couldn’t stand the thought of releasing without her.

“Wait, Katniss. God, I’m sorry. I keep saying that, but I promise this will be worth it,” he said.

She moaned with longing but stopping moving on him and gasped for breath while she waited for his directions.

“Will you lean over the couch?” he asked.

Katniss nodded, her dark hair falling around her shoulders. She raised herself off his lap and knelt on the cushion next to him, her hands gripping the back of the couch and her knees spread. He moved behind her quickly and lined himself to enter her. As he slid into her heat from behind, he moved his fingers to her nub and began to massage it. The strength of his thrusts coupled with his fingers kneading her sent waves of heat through her so quickly that a wail of disbelief burst from her.

“Peeta!” she howled. His thrusts quickened to a frenzy, both of them grunting and moaning, hers a high-pitched cry and his deep groans of approval.

His fingers rubbed her feverishly and he felt her walls contract around him gently.

“Keep going. Please keep going!” she begged.

He slammed into her again and realized he couldn’t wait any longer. “Katniss,” he shouted. “Come with me. Come now.”

He convulsed inside her, fluid flooding from him. His fingers continued to fondle her and his hips pumped against her. He felt so good he could barely keep his eyes open, but he noticed her knuckles turn white and her arms lock so she could slam back against him harder. The sound of their flesh smacking together reverberated through the room.

“Oh! Ohhhhhhhhhh…” She came with a scream of his name, her climax gushing from her over his fingers and covering his dick.

She collapsed against the couch, spent from their coupling. He pulled out and fell next to her, his back against the couch and his head touching hers.

Fighting to gain his breath, he raised his hand to stroke her hair as her back rose and fell in short gasps. “You okay?” he asked softly, a little fearful she was having second thoughts now that they’d finished.

She nodded but didn’t speak. He continued to caress her hair until he got a chill and realized he needed to clean himself. Rising from the couch, he left her to recover and escaped into the bathroom. When he returned, she hadn’t moved, her cheek resting against her bent arm that was looped over the top of the couch and her back to him.

It was at that time he realized he was still partially clothed, his dress shirt still on and sticking to his chest in sweaty patches. Katniss was completely bare, and he noticed she had small goose bumps across most of her body. Pulling a throw from his armchair, he draped the soft wool across her and settled next to her again.

“Katniss?” he asked softly.

She twisted under the blanket and cuddled into him so that her head could nuzzle into the side of his neck. Her olive skin felt like velvet against him. Her right hand crept up to lay on his chest where his heart beat rapidly.

“That was amazing,” she breathed.

He released his breath in a gush of relief. A chuckle burst from him as she snuggled closer to him. “It was amazing,” he agreed.

She shifted her head so she could see his face and asked with a furrowed brow, “Why do you still have clothes on?”

With a smile, he shook his head so waves of his blonde hair fell across his forehead. “I don’t really know,” he admitted. “Do you want me to take them off?”

She nodded again, her soft hair grazing the underside of his jaw. The tickle sent shock waves through him again, and he grimaced as his dick twitched in response. Her fingers moved to the buttons on his shirt and slipped them free. He shook the shirt from his arms and then wrapped them back around her. As her breasts came in contact with his bare chest, he fought back a moan of pleasure. Her fingers caressed the soft patch of dark blonde chest hair and his fingertips ran up and down her back underneath the blanket.

He leaned down to kiss the top of her head and breathed in her scent—fresh, clean, and like the sun. “Please stay with me tonight?” he asked hopefully but with caution. “You’re welcome to if you want.”

“Well, that depends,” she replied.

He tightened his arm around her and smiled into her hair. “On what?” he asked.

She sat up slightly so she could face him, her nipples rubbing gently against his chest. At that moment it didn’t matter what she asked, he’d gladly do it.

With a soft smile on her lips, she answered, “On whether or not you’re going to let me sleep in your bed with you or if you’re going to relegate me to this couch. Not that I don’t already have fond memories associated with this couch…”

A deep laugh rumbled from him. “Of course you can sleep in my bed with me. In fact…” he trailed off.

“What?”

He stood and pulled her up with him. The blanket fell from her and left her bare again. He gulped at the sight, taken aback with her beauty. “I was just thinking it might be a good idea to turn on the fireplace. It’s getting colder outside. I bet the snow will start any time now, if it hasn’t already.”

With that he pulled her into his bedroom, and Katniss saw that he was right. The bedroom was dark, but she could see small snowflakes falling past the windows that framed his bed. He flipped a switch and flames leapt upward in a fireplace set into the wall above a short table.

Her eyebrows raised in appreciation. “Nice,” she said and nodded in approval.

“Thanks. It was the selling point on this house for me. When it’s cold, I turn it on and lie in bed and watch the flames. They remind me of the fires in the ovens at my parent’s bakery when I was growing up. It’s comforting.”

He glanced at her then and felt his heart rate increase. The firelight lit her olive skin and caught her dark gray eyes so that they glowed a warm silver. He gaped at her, unable to close his mouth or move his eyes from the swell of her breasts.

“Peeta…” she whispered. The light from the fire glinted off his blonde wavy hair so that it glowed like a halo around his head. His blue eyes blazed and his skin tinted a soft pink in the golden glow.

His arms pulled her gently to him, and he dipped his head to brush his lips against hers. A rush of heat shook her again, but this time it was deeper, richer somehow. It was the kind of heat that coiled deeply inside and spread like melting butter as it moved outward to the tips of her fingers. The burn spread like a sensuous wave through her body.

Their mouths moved together as if they had all the time in the world, and they both realized they did. Neither of them had to be anywhere the next day, and the snowfall was supposed to accumulate for hours. Peeta rationalized in his mind that it was his responsibility as the host to entertain his guest during the winter storm.

His hand tangled in her hair and he simultaneously pulled her closer against him. Their skin appeared to fuse together. Her fingers rested lightly on his chest. She seemed content to kiss him languidly, in no rush to do anything but stay connected to him.

He kissed her softly twice more and forced himself to pull back. “Come on,” he insisted gently as he threaded his fingers with hers and moved them to the edge of his bed. He folded down the comforter and top sheet and sat down on the edge. Tugging her in between his legs, he pulled her mouth down to his and lost himself in her again.

Her arms threaded around his neck and she released a soft cry. Climbing into his lap, she curled her body into his, craving the touch of his skin against hers. Leaning back, he settled his head against the pillows and cradled her body against his. Her legs slipped around his. His hands ran from her hips downward to cup the backs of her thighs and caress her.

After several minutes of deep kisses, they lay on the bed facing each other, arms draped around each other, legs intertwined. He brushed her dark hair from her forehead and cradled her cheek against his palm. He kissed her mouth before brushing one on the tip of her nose and then across her forehead down her temple and to her cheek. The feathery whisper of his lips against her skin resulted in a deep burning she wasn’t sure how to quench.

Katniss ran a hand down his sinewy back and groaned internally as the muscles contracted under her fingertips. She rested her hand on the small of his back for a moment and then grazed her palm on the curve of his ass. It was firm, definitely plump, and the perfect amount of rounded flesh for her palm. Caressing him there, she felt his breath quicken slightly and a sound of longing rip from his chest. She felt his cock twitch against her thigh and rubbed a little harder against him until she felt him harden again. His kisses intensified then, his tongue probing deeper, and his breaths becoming more ragged.

Peeta tightened his arms around her; her name tearing from his chest in desire as he did so.

“You feel so good against me,” he confessed. “I didn’t think this would ever happen.”

“It is happening,” she answered. “It did, and it will again.” When he didn’t respond, she prodded, “Now, if you want.”

His eyes flew open and searched her face for confirmation. Seeing her willingness, he rolled away from her to reach inside the drawer on his nightstand and grab another foil packet. His fingers brushed across the bottle of lube he kept there, and he closed his fist around it. He prepared himself first, and then squeezed some warming liquid into his hand. He nudged her legs apart and brought his slickened fingers to the juncture of her thighs.

She spread for him as he caressed her. The lube wasn’t necessary, but Peeta wanted her to enjoy everything completely. The warming sensation wouldn’t hurt, and Katniss seemed pleased by his ministrations. Her breath caught in gentle gasps and she mewled her delight.

When he couldn’t wait any longer, he moved over her. Holding himself up on his elbows, he kissed her willing lips and held her gaze. She raised her knees and opened to meet him. Her eyes clouded with passion as he nudged the tip of his length into her and drew it back out, her entrance slickened with lubrication.

Kissing her softly, he pressed in again, this time allowing the tip to enter her fully before pulling out. She gasped in disappointment, but he wasn’t done. Pushing into her a third time, he stopped halfway in and slowly withdrew, the tip of his cock rubbing against her clitoris as he retreated. A shudder ran through her and she moaned as he drew back, only to whimper her pleasure when he entered her again.

This time he pushed further in and rotated his hips in a small circle before pulling out so that only the tip remained. Katniss contracted around him slightly and sobbed his name, her desire so intense she could barely control her emotions.

Peeta reared his head, his top teeth cutting into his bottom lip as he strained to keep his movements slow. His eyes closed in concentration as he sank into her again. She groaned his name as he did so, drawing out the last letter into a whimpered “ahhh…” His body shook from the control it took to slide into her so slowly. He buried himself into her completely, his balls warmed by her heat, his dick fully encased in her wet folds. He reached to pull her legs tightly around his waist and rested there.

She pulsed around him, massaging his length. She took deep breaths as Peeta kissed her neck, his tongue licking soft trails in the hollows below her ears. Her warm breath fell on his ear as she whispered her appreciation for what he was doing. His name fell from her lips repeatedly, interspersed with soft yeses. Everything he was doing was right.

When she felt like she’d explode if he didn’t move, she urged him with a gentle thrust against him. He withdrew from her and then slipped back in just as slowly as he had the previous few times. A feminine moan fell from her when he was completely inside. When he pulled out again, it was his turn to release a groan of gratification.

Peeta’s steady, determined thrusts threatened to drive them both crazy, but he maintained the slow pace. Their mouths moved against each other, hot breath heating the air around their faces as they broke apart and came back together continually. Katniss’ legs clung tightly to his sides, moving in time with his thrusts. Her hair spread out around her head and flowed over the pillow.

As he continued to move inside her, Katniss shifted her arms from his back and allowed them to fall against the pillow on either side of her head. One lay covered in her hair but the other found its way under the pillow. Peeta continued to enter and withdraw, his powerful legs pressing and retracting against the mattress as he moved his hips back and forth. He held his weight off her with his elbows, but as the heat increased between them, he moved one hand to find hers under the pillow. His fingers slid between hers and held them as his thrusts grew slightly faster.

Katniss couldn’t remember anything more sensuous. Peeta’s broad shoulders glistened with a slight sheen of sweat. The fire from the fireplace in the far wall provided the only light in the room, and that golden glow from behind him covered his face in shadows. His handsome features seemed more angular and mysterious as he moved above her.

As frantic and hard as they’d been on the couch earlier, this experience was gentle. His actions demonstrated adoration, if not love. Katniss felt his length stretching her, caressing her intimately, touching deep inside her so that she felt exposed but incredibly safe because of his solidity.

Peeta’s mouth moved to suck on her earlobe, and Katniss heard herself purr in approval. The sound came from deep inside her and shuddered through her until her tongue fluttered in a catlike hum. When he nipped the soft lobe and then laved more caresses down her neck, she bucked into him against his rhythm. Shaken out of his pattern, he increased the pace just slightly and gasped when she tightened around him.

He raised his head to look at her with a question in his eyes, and she nodded. “Yeah?” he asked, and she panted her approval.

“Please, Peeta. I’m ready. Please.”

He gripped her fingers tighter under the pillow and drove into her a little harder.

“More.”

With groan of disbelief, he quickened his pace again, grunts falling from him every time he thrust into her.

Peeta wasn’t sure where he’d gotten this stamina, but he was grateful for it. His hips stroked in time, increasing in speed incrementally in response to her whispered pleas.

“Faster, Peeta. Please go faster,” she pled, her body slickened from their activity. Her hair was dampened with moisture along her forehead, a thin layer of perspiration allowing their bare skin to slide against each other without too much friction.

Peeta felt pressure building deep in his loins. His thrusts lost their steady rhythm and jerked harder into her wetness. With the new pace, he slid into her at a new angle and felt his tip hit her walls differently than before. The second time she released an involuntary groan followed by another and then another. The sound fell from her without her control and she tensed under him.

She moaned his name as he continued to drive into her. As he tightened and drew closer to his own release, his vocal response increased in volume too. Before long, they were both shouting. His deep moans were incoherent, but she released high pitched squeals of “yes!” every time he connected with what he assumed had to be her g-spot.

“Katniss,” he grunted. “Katniss!”

At the sound of her name coming from his mouth in such a masculine groan, she clenched her legs around his waist and drove upward against him. She screamed as she came, every muscle tightening and then releasing in ecstasy. Peeta could feel her body trembling as waves shook through her. She wasn’t quiet as she writhed beneath him, twisting and turning to get closer to him than she already was.

He was panting as he continued to thrust and then his body tightened too. “Augh!” he cried, strangling on the words and choking the sound from his throat. He jerked twice more, cum filling the condom as he spurted, and then felt her release against him, her fingers gripping his so tightly his palm ached.

Katniss felt as if she’d shattered into pieces, as many as the number of snowflakes falling outside the windows. Her mind flitted from one thought to another, the hardness of his back, the softness of his lips, his warmth inside her, the strength in his arms and legs, the way he held her as if she were something to be cherished.

She wasn’t sure if he realized it, but he continued to gasp her name interspersed with soft “ahs” and “ohs” as his body shook on top of hers. His orgasm had been so intense that he couldn’t hold himself up anymore. His full weight settled on her, pressing her down into the blanket, as his hand flexed around hers fisting and releasing as his euphoria ebbed.

When he returned to himself, Peeta realized he’d collapsed on top of her and rolled off her with a groan. “I’m sorry,” he said as he glanced right to look at her. “I didn’t mean to crush you.”

Her lips turned upward in a soft smile. Her eyes sparkled with happiness and her cheeks blushed a deep red. “You don’t have to be sorry, Peeta. I like feeling you on top of me.”

He laughed in disbelief and shook his head. “I’m pretty sure I’d like feeling you on top of me too,” he joked.

She laughed softly at his words and spoke seductively, “I’m sure that could be arranged. Give me a couple of hours and we’ll try again.”

Shaking his head from side to side, he released a rumble of laughter. With a dazed look, he panted, “Say what you want about Effie, I think that kissing booth was the best damn idea she’s ever had.”

“Yeah,” she whispered as she curled into his side. “I’ll give her this one.”


End file.
